


Dr. Penelope Clearwater

by emmd94



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Harry Potter Next Generation, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 21:13:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13443504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmd94/pseuds/emmd94
Summary: While He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named died years ago, and the wizarding world has largely returned to normal, Penelope Clearwater knew that deep hurt still lurked below the surface. Follow a bright witch as she returns to Hogsmeade and opens the first psychology practice the wizarding world knows of (they are, of course, still a little sensitive about Muggle science). Glimpse Harry and Ginny work on their marriage in light of Harry's PTSD, cry with Mrs. Weasley as she continues to mourn a child, and rejoice with Penelope when she receives permission to work with students at Hogwarts. Perhaps Penelope will find some peace (and love) along the way.





	Dr. Penelope Clearwater

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! After many years away, I decided to take up fanfiction writing once again. I used to remain squarely in the Marauders camp but am trying something new. This work follows Penelope Clearwater, witch, healer, and psychologist, as she opens a practice within the wizarding world. However, familiar characters will filter through as we watch them struggle with issues in her office. I admit that this might start slow, but I hope to speed things along as more characters become involved. Any feedback would be appreciated! I'm a doctoral student in the real world and I'm worried my writing will be more academic than creative. Like I said, this is a new area for me to write in but I've wanted to get this idea out of my head. I hope you enjoy.

“A little more to the right…okay, now just make it straight—perfect!” Penelope stepped back to admire the sign that now hung above her newly leased building. It was a hand carved wooden sign made by her grandfather as a graduation present.

“Dr. Penelope Clearwater, Counselor,” read the young woman standing next to Penelope, “It has a nice ring to it.” Adelaide had directed Penelope’s wand movements to hang the sign just so and brimmed with almost as much excitement as her friend. Like many friendships in the British wizarding world, theirs formed at Hogwarts over late night study sessions and strolls around the lake, and continued to grow long after their final year.

  
Penelope smiled. “It looks good! I can’t believe that I’m finally opening my own practice—or that I get to open it in Hogsmeade!”

“Well, it’s not like you have much competition in the wizarding world for psychological services.”

  
“Eventually wizards will see the benefit of counseling. You know--”

“—it took muggles some time to catch on as well, the field was underappreciated, someday I’m going to help the Hogwarts students, etcetera. Yes, I know. I’ve heard the same thing for years. No need to refresh my memory. Besides, we should probably finish arranging furniture before getting dinner.”

  
Penelope rolled her eyes and stepped through the door. The first floor had been a shop and required some work to make it into suitable offices. Upon entering, a person stood in the waiting room. It contained well-worn furniture and a variety of magazines. Penelope had poured most of her energy and savings into getting the downstairs completed first. The walls were a light lilac color. A small desk stood by the far wall. Perpendicular to that was a fireplace mainly for use of the Floo Network. Having no receptionist yet, Penelope envisioned the desk as the future home of a small clerical mess. Pass the desk was the staircase on the right leading up to Penelope’s flat, off-limits to any patients, and a hall with two doors on the left.

The first door was Penelope’s office. It still required quite a bit of organizing but Penelope could do that at her own pace. The second door was the room for meeting patients. It contained a small loveseat, two armchairs, and some minor decorations. A Pensieve was stored against the wall with a small collection of potions. Penelope had used some wandwork to expand the room for her needs before adding every spell to ward off eavesdroppers she could think of. A muggle psychologist’s office had nowhere near the level of protection Penelope’s possessed.  
However, Penelope went upstairs to her flat as Adelaide followed. The upstairs had a simple open living room with a counter bar separating the living room from the kitchen. To the left, the first door led into the bathroom while the second led into Penelope’s bedroom. The greatest perk in Penelope’s mind was the small balcony by the living room. Most of Penelope’s household belongs were unpacked magically. The personal items—and books—would be organized with more care later.

  
“Ok, we’re going to the Three Broomsticks for dinner, right? I haven’t been there in forever,” Adelaide said. Her brown eyes and tightly curled brown hair offered a hint of the whimsical person inside. She would describe herself as curvy, and Penelope knew that Adelaide never worried what people thought of her size. Adelaide normally kept her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail or with a headband and her robes were always the latest in wizarding fashion.

  
Penelope nodded. “Let me just grab a cloak to throw on over this and we’ll head out.”. Her straight, blond hair and blue eyes on a nearly bone-thin body always made the cloak look like it was swallowing her. Standing next to Adelaide, a dark-haired woman with a fuller figure, the two looked as different as they could get. Penelope stuck to the classic Muggle fashions—with a cloak—while Adelaide hopped on board with every new wizarding fashion trend. None of that mattered when they met in the Ravenclaw dorm room their first year at Hogwarts.

  
The young women stepped outside and walked down two side streets before getting onto the main path. Adelaide began grumbling about the location. “I wish you could have gotten a spot closer to the Three Broomsticks—even Hogs Head has a better spot than you!”

  
“Well, if you’d like to sell an organ to help me pay for a better spot in one of the few all-wizard communities within the United Kingdom, you go right ahead.”

  
“Sell an organ? Why would I sell an organ?” Adelaide asked as she pulled the door to the pub open.

  
Penelope took off her cloak and walked towards a side table. “In the Muggle world, we say ‘sell an organ’ to describe doing something desperate to get lots of money. Organ transplants are the last resort for sick people and they might not get one. All depends on their spot on the donor list.”

  
“Weird,” Adelaide replied. “We can just use something from the Skele-Grow line of products and Muggles have to find a recently deceased person to harvest organs from. I’ll stick to my family’s overly pureblood ways.”

  
Madam Rosmerta walked over to take their order. “Adelaide, I haven’t seen you in a while! And is that Penny Clearwater? I heard you were opening some type of muggle medicine shop in Hogsmeade.”

“It’s not so much a store as a service. I received the highest degree in counseling psychology in the Muggle world, then did a year at Saint Mungo’s as a healer. Muggles have seen professional ‘healers’ for years that focus on their mental well-being,” Penelope explained. “I thought with everything the wizarding world has been through in the past three decades, we might need some help with mental healing.”

  
Madam Rosmerta shook her head sadly. “I’ve certainly seen far more serious drinking habits develop in the last few years than ever before. I think you’re right on the Galleons.”

  
“Well, if you have Madam Rosmerta on your side, then business will be booming in no time!” Adelaide then ordered them the dinner special and two mulled wines before the bar owner walked away. The two lingered over their dinner and drinks until it was dark. Adelaide made the first move to leave.

  
“Well, as much as I enjoyed being Hogsmeade, I have to get back to London since I have work in the morning. Can’t let the boss see me sleeping on the job!”

  
“Adelaide, your family owns the business. I doubt they’d fire you.”

  
She shrugged, stepping into the night air. “You know purebloods. We can be purely irrational at the worst of times. Probably all the inbreeding…”

  
Penelope laughed. Adelaide always mocked herself and other pureblood wizards. It probably had something to do with the implications of being too proud of pureblood status. “You’re just Apparating, right?”

  
“Ya, I’ll walk you back and then disappear.”

  
Once Penelope was safely tucked away in her building and Adelaide gone, the stillness of Hogsmeade in the summer months rested peacefully. No students, few tourists, and an off-the-beaten-path feel to her new home. She put on her pajamas and made a cup of tea upstairs before trudging back down to her office, a box floating in front of her.

  
Penelope had waited to hang her diplomas in the office until after Adelaide left. It felt like the right thing to do. It was a solemn moment to mark the beginning of a new adventure in her life. Sipping her tea and staring up at the framed certificates, Penelope could not help but wonder if this adventure was sparked by guilt at missing the Battle of Hogwarts. “Tomorrow I’ll start reaching out to contacts and place an ad in the Daily Prophet,” Penelope said to herself. With a yawn, she added, “And my first patient is dropping by.”


End file.
